# Differences in metavirome among Aedes albopictus, Culex tritaeniorhynchus, and Anopheles sinensis in Jiangxi Province, China

## TL;DR

This study compares the virus communities in three mosquito species in Jiangxi Province, China, identifying differences in the types and abundance of viruses present.

## Contribution

The study provides a detailed comparative analysis of metaviromes in three mosquito species using next-generation sequencing.

## Key findings

- 86 viruses were identified, with 49 belonging to established families and 37 unclassified.
- Significant compositional differences were observed in the top 30 most frequently detected viruses among the three mosquito species.
- The study highlights the need for further validation of the biological roles of identified viruses in host-virus interactions.

## Abstract

Mosquito metavirome research aims to comprehensively characterize the diversity of mosquito-associated viruses, particularly focusing on insect-specific viruses (ISVs) and their potential interactions with arboviruses of public health concern. Advances in next-generation sequencing (NGS) have significantly expanded our understanding of the viromic complexity within mosquito populations, revealing numerous novel viral species and genera. These studies not only contribute to viral taxonomy and evolutionary biology but also provide critical insights into the ecological dynamics between mosquitoes and their viromes.

NGS was employed to characterize the metavirome of three epidemiologically significant mosquito vectors, Aedes albopictus, Culex tritaeniorhynchus, and Anopheles sinensis in Jiangxi Province, China. This study integrated bioinformatic workflows to conduct comparative analyses of viral composition and biological significance.

An analysis of the metavirome of three mosquito species in Jiangxi Province revealed 86 viruses. Of these, 49 belonged to 19 established families, while the remaining 37 were unclassified. The unclassified viruses had the highest relative abundance. The known virus families with relatively high abundances among the three mosquito species were: Solemoviridae, Xinmoviridae, Phasmaviridae, Flaviviridae, Rhabdoviridae, Peribunyaviridae and Orthomyxoviridae. Although the Shannon and Simpson diversity indices showed no significant differences between the three species (p > 0.05), substantial compositional divergence was observed in the “top 30 viruses.” The most frequently detected viruses in the Ae. albopictus population include High Island virus, Usinis virus, Sichuan mosquito sobemo-like virus, Guangzhou sobemo-like virus, Barstukas virus, Piry virus (PIRYV), Aedes
flavivirus (AEFV), and Aedes albopictus
anphevirus (AealbAV). The most frequently detected viruses in the Cx. tritaeniorhynchus population include Hubei mosquito virus 2, Quang Binh virus (QBV), Culex tritaeniorhynchus
rhabdovirus (CTRV), Yongsan sobemo-like virus 1 (YSLV1), Bat sobemovirus (BSV), Wuhan Mosquito Virus 2 (WMV2), and Culex pseudovishnui
bunya-like virus (CPBV). The most frequently detected viruses in the An. sinensis population include Hubei reo-like virus 12, Xincheng mosquito virus (XCV), Wuhan mosquito virus 1 (WMV1), and Wuhan mosquito virus 5 (WMV5).

The most frequently detected virus profiles of the three most important mosquito species for epidemiology in Jiangxi Province, Ae. albopictus, Cx. tritaeniorhynchus, and An. sinensis, exhibit evident differences. Further validation of the biological characteristics, pathogenicity, vector competence, and host relationships of the identified viruses (including ISVs) is required to gain a comprehensive understanding of their roles in host–virus interactions. This will provide theoretical support for vector control efforts in Jiangxi Province.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13071-025-07195-y.